Impact Marketing Newsletter June 2007

Welcome to the another issue of Be Heard! the newsletter for marketers and entrepreneurs.

Ever ask yourself “how am I going to get this done?” I certainly have, especially lately. I was having an interesting discussion about prioritizing projects and how to decide if you need extra resources. My husband, Rick, made an astute observation. We really only have three choices: Do it ourselves, hire someone else to do it, or don’t do it at all. Hmmm… That got me to thinking about how we go about making decisions to outsource different parts of the marketing mix. In this issue of Be Heard! we look at how some companies have successfully outsourced both strategic and tactical elements of their marketing mix. I’m also excited to introduce Michelle Bonat. Michelle will be contributing her experience and expertise as a marketing professional and entrepreneur.

If you have topics you’d like to see covered in future issues, or if you'd like to contribute your ideas, just drop me a note at laura@impact-mg.com. And please feel free to pass this along to friends and colleagues who need to Be Heard!
Thanks!
LL

How and What to Outsource?

Marketing strategy? Messaging? Email campaigns? Website design? There is so much to do! When you stop to think about it, there are only a few ways to get anything done. You can do it yourself. You can hire someone else to do it. Or, you can decide not to do it. There isn’t a company I know of today who believes they have enough resources. So the idea of outsourcing certain elements of the marketing mix makes a lot of sense. Read More…

An Entrepreneurs Perspective, by Michelle Bonat

Laura makes some great points here on how and what to outsource.  It’s been my experience that the right choices become self-evident when you are starting or running a young company.  I think of things in really simple terms, which helps me guide decision making.  What do we need to happen in the short term (this week/this month) that we cannot live without?  A good test is that if you don’t do it will the company cease to function?  Make a list of the few things (ideally three, not more than four) that you need to make happen in the immediate future. Then be honest with yourself and decide if your existing team can do these things.  Really, honestly, can you do it in house.
A few great outsourcing experiences come to mind. They are 1) new markets  2)  speed  and 3) very specific expertise. Read More
A bit about Michelle…Michelle is the Founder and CEO of MyDoubleHelix (www.mydoublehelix.com), a startup company which brings the medical, scientific and technology communities together to accelerate innovation using semantic web technology.  She has a track record of success introducing innovative technologies to established markets, including more than 20 years of general management, marketing, and banking experience ranging from startups to large organizations including Oracle.  She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School and also serves as a strategic and marketing advisor.

A Case Study: PNN the Personal News Network

PNN is a media outlet for “regular” people who want a trustworthy source for news, information and insight as well as a venue to share their stories with the world. “We wanted PNN to be different from traditional media (newspapers, magazines, TV and social networking sites) which are not open to story ideas from the average person,” said CEO and founder Lauren Elliott. “Our goal is to enable everyone to tell their story, and then to let everyone who might be interested know about it.” The company opened its doors less than a year ago and has already found an audience among those with a story to tell. People like Erica Ortiz self-proclaimed “drag car driver” and Donna Lange who single handedly circumnavigated the globe on a 28-foot sailboat…and the list goes on. Lauren believes that everyone has a story to tell. They just don’t have an easy way to tell it.
“We have a lot of ideas and plenty of energy,” commented Lauren. “What we needed was some focus, structure and discipline. Working with a marketing consultant helped us develop a marketing plan, test some new ideas and begin executing campaigns that are in line with our strategy.”
For a start-up like PNN, this type of engagement is common. In this case, Lauren and his team needed expertise they didn’t have in house. Their ideas and energy, plus the expertise of a consultant have made a significant impact on their plans moving forward.

Products and Services:

Workbooks: Need help getting started? Check out my Marketing Workbooks. They contain everything you need to get started in the right direction so you can be heard! Kelly from Copylicious says "For short projects I rely mostly on intuition and a few straightforward questions. But for really big projects…I need to ask a whole slew of questions. These worksheets & templates have filled in ALL the gaps. They're great.”

One-On-One Consulting: This unique program is designed to help you create an impactful marketing plan for your company or product. We focus on connecting practical strategies and actionable tactics. These are hands-on working sessions for people who are serious about being heard!

Thanks for your continued support. I’m looking forward to your comments and ideas for future issues of Be Heard!